Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has denied that there had been a “complete collapse” of the National Security Council (NSC) flood disaster response.
The NSC secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab clarified that it was the Kelantan district office that collapsed as the government staff became flood victims themselves, claiming that the district offices in neighbouring Pahang and Terengganu could still function as those states were not as badly hit.
I do not envy Thajudeen as he spoke the truth but was being pilloried and vilified by UMNO/Barisan Nasional political leaders including his superiors, resulting in having to come out with a denial which, on scrutiny, is actually confirmation of the collapse of the NSC chain of command and communications showing deplorable flood disaster management preparedness in the main theatre of the worst floods disaster in the first five days from Dec. 23 to 27.
Thajuddin should know that there is no such thing as “the Kelantan district office that collapsed” as there are 10 districts in Kelantan, out of which only one district, Bachok was not ravaged by floods.
All the other nine district in Kelantan, viz: Kota Bharu, Pasir Mas, Tumpat, Pasir Puteh, Kuala Krai,Tanah Merah, Jeli, Gua Musang were deep under water with Gua Musang and Kuala Krai the two worst districts hit by the floods and cut off from “civilization” for the first few days of the floods catastrophe with villagers stranded on hills without water, power or food while homes were swept away.
Kelantan was the worst flood-stricken state in the first five days of the floods disaster from Dec. 23 to 27, when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak rushed back from his vacation in Hawaii to take charge of the floods disaster relief operation.
For instance, the number of flood evacuees by Dec. 25 – 28 were:
Date Kelantan Terengganu Pahang Perak Total
Dec. 25 34,955 29,082 28,578 5,5123 98,466
Dec. 26 45,467 34,109 33,324 6,335 120,368
Dec. 28 93,407 33,990 33,601 7,513 169,020
When the NSC floods disaster chain of command and communications broke down in nine of the ten districts in Kelantan, the worst flood-hit state, it is not too much of an exaggeration to say that there was a “complete collapse” of the NSC floods relief operation.
In fact, the situation in Kelantan was so bad that even the Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob was trapped in his own house and could not go out to meet his constituents.
Let a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Floods Disaster Management Preparedness headed by a Chairman nominated by Pakatan Rakyat inquire whether there had been a “complete breakdown” or what extent of breakdown of the National Security Council chain of command and communications in the current worst floods disaster in decades, instead of prolonging an argument which does not serve any purpose.
This is because the top priority at present is to bring relief and help to the quarter of a million flood victims in Kelantan and the other seven states hit by the floods disaster.
(Media Statement in Kota Bharu when making second visit in five days on the floods situation in Kelantan on Thursday, 1st January 2015)